Centrifugal feeding device



Feb. 19, 1929.

A. GILLESPIE GENTRIFUGAL FEEDING DEVICE INVENTon. eLexenoen el Esme,

Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

ALEXANDER GILLESPIE, or PITTSFIELD, rrmivois.-

CENTBIFUGAL FEEDING DEVICE.

Application led September 11, 1928. Serial No. 134,873.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal :feeding devices to feed flour mill stoel( to rollers.

The objects ot' the invention are to improve the feeding of flour mill stock to rollers by a simple and durably constructed mechanism hereinafter more fully described.

Further objects are to provide means for feeding' all kinds oi grain or grain products ot' whatever size, nature or condition in a perfect manner' to grinding rollers forthe convcrsiono'f all kinds of grain to finished products.

Another object of the invention is to provide means oi'` this character adapted to divide a main stream of stock between two or more machines otherthan rollers.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, hereafter' more fully describ'ed, the invention consists in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts as de scribed in the present specification and claim and illustrated in the accompanying draw-,

ings which form part of the same.

Before proceeding further, without reference to the drawing, it would be well to mention that a double stand ofgrinding rollers, as understood in flour milling, consists `of two separate pairs of rollers carried by the i same frame and enclosed within the same housing and driven by the saine belts. Usually these two pairs of rollers grindthe `same class of stock. The division of the stock is always made by means of a splitter valve enclosed atached to the top of a housing or illorming part ol a roller housing.` The stock thus divided falls into separate hoppers just ab 'e each separate pair of rollers, each of tin hoppersbeing supplied with a stock 1Feeder of the small diameter feed roll type whereby the stock is fed from the hoppers 'to each pair ot rollers. Such types of stock 'feeders must' be provided with feed gates adapted to regulate the thickness of the stoel;

and also to spread the stock the full length of the rollers.`

Flour mill stocks are variable as to moisture ccmtcnt, volume, and degree of granulation, which always changes the position of the stock flowing through the spouts con` tinually requiring the resetting of splitter 'valve and feed gates described above. The human element so necessary in adjusting and regulating the device obviously cannot be compared with mechanical regulation for exactness of division. i

It will therefore be there can be no proper tion of stock thus fed to rollers, which contributes materially to the loss of capacity, lack ol uniformity of grinding;` higher ash seen that manually content and therefore en inferior quality at a high productive cost. i i

Referring now to the drawin rs, in which like characters ot' reference in icate corresponding parts in each figure: i.

Figure l is a cross sectional elevation of my improved machine with stockfeeder attached; i f

Figure 2 is a longitudinalsectionaleleva one endend `the slow revolvingroller off both pairs beingdriven by another belt from opposite lend of the `frame as indicated at`13.

The roller housing is indicated by the nua centrifugal feeding device comprising ya bridge tree 15 provided with a step beari 16 in which revolves a short vertical shaft 1 to which is fastened a concave or plain disc itl-of suitable diameter above which is` a de` fleeting hood 18. Secured to"` the Avertical division and regulation taken through the centre of the ma` -meral 14 resting uponthe frame 10 enclosing shaft l' is a beveldrive gear `19 with which is adapted to meslia gear 20 on a horizontal shaft A2l rmatably mounted in a suitable hearing as at `L2 mvthe `llousing 14. i :This

shaft Q1 extends beyond the housing and is provided at its o'uterend with a step pulley `Z3 adapted to beibelt driven from a step pulley mounted on one of the rollershafts. .i It will `be noted that thehorizontal shaft 2l at its inner end is supported in the bridge tree 15 which also supports the vertical shaft 17 and forms a bearing for it.

For dividing the stock `discharge from the concave` feeder disc 18 into two equal parte, I provide a saddle board 25 which also delects the stock sol fed to cachot the rollersl 11 and 12. Outer deflecting boards are designated by the numerals 26 and 27 and `are designed to conduct thestock discharged by the member' 18 to the respective pair of rollers. These delecting boards may be circular and tluted or of other convenient formation. For feeding material to the disc I provide an adjustable spout 2S fastened to the top side of the housing ifi and designed to conduct the main stream of stoel; to the centre oi;I the disc in a series oit machines are employed.

ln feeding; a series of machines other than rollers trom one main stream of stocli and making a perfect division ot same depending upon the division required and the perfect spacing of the circle between these divisions, l provide a stock distributing device 3l as illustrated in Figures 1 and 'This comprises a divided hopper 32 with a disc meinber 33 similar in construction and operation to the disc 18 and communicating with a series oi': conduits ,33, to feed the dierent maw chines, whereby each machine, for example lll, 14a and 14D, are i'ed equally.

lVhen the centrifugal feeding device is in position it should be in exactcentre as hetween each pair of rollers and also midway of their length and elevated above the saddle hoard 25. To have perfect division of the stock the comb of the saddle board must be in the exact centre and parallel to the roller axis.` t

The mode of operation is then as follows lVhen the device is in action and stock is delivered to the centre of the disc 18, the cen.- trifugal action distributes stock in a thin uniformly circular sheet out against the deilecting hood 18 and the del'lectin;E bolusV )nil and 27. The coinh oi the saddle board will malte a perlect mechanical division ot said stock and the deiiectingg hood and boards will conduct the stock so divided to the respective pairsof rollers to which they are inclined. Thus peri'ect division and feeding et stock to two pairs ot rollers is accomplished in a moet simple manner by one and the same device.

By means of the step pulleys the speed ot the concave disc can he regulated to feed stock perfectly the full length of all lengths ot rollers, the diameter of the delivery eirele being always equal to the vlength of rollers used. Se when this stock feeding device is once adjusted it requires no further attention, because any change in quantity, granulation or moisture content oi the stock cannot a'li'ect its circle delivery.

The area occupied'hy a stream ot' broken wheat ilo *ing to the two pairs of rollers each 3U inches long (a total oit (SO inches) through a. spout having a pitch oil TO degrees is about two square inches, and as this feeding device discharges the stoel; received there can he no accinmilation, hence area ot two square inches olstoclr is distributed a length oi t3() inchesn lt mustlle evident then that an arca et two square inches of stoel; is spread alone; GG inches it will be thinned out so there will he no over-lapping et stoel; in `lndinif, a Aleatrme that practically impossible with any other type of i'eeder. Hence the product is greatly improved.

Although the device is illustrated as leeding two pairs oi rollers, one pair may be 'led just as effectively.

As many changes could he made in the above construct-ion and many apparently widely dill'erent embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claim, constructed without departing trom the spirit or scope thereof, it is :intended that all matter contained inthe accoinpanying speciiieation and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting1 sense.

'What l claim as my invention is:

A centrifugal feeding device lor feeding ilour` mili stock, comprising a housing provided with an inwardly extending' coneshaped feed spout in the top and discharge openings in the bottom, a. rotatably mounted vertical shaft in the housing', a spirally wound portion int gral with said shaft and extendiny' into he cone-shaped ieed spout, a leader disc i dy mounted on the shaft be neath the spor, a detlecting hood above the disc, a, sul,` nt'ully triangular saddle board beneath the d leiector plates co-opcratinsu;l with the sides or the housing and with the saddle board to direct- 'the grain to the discharge openin mechanism tor drivino' the 'vertical shaft, and means for deliverinp` stoel; 'to the eedspout.

in witness whereoi l have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER Gllilil f5 ljlll.

lili) 

